Our Maine Street's Aroostook Issue 8 : Spring 2011 | Page 49

Fish Friends
at fort fairfield middle high school
by Linda Jones

You have what in that tank? Can we eat them?
Students of all ages love the Fish Friends Salmon Project.
My students have been participating in the project almost
every year for the past 16 years. It all started when we had
the opportunity to have an Americore Volunteer, Amanda
Smith, come and work with my Environmental Studies class.
She introduced us to the program and was instrumental
in getting us the tank and supplies that we needed. The
initial setup was quite expensive and thanks to donations
from the Fish and Game and Lion’s Clubs, we were able
to acquire the 25-gallon tank, refrigeration unit, etc. that
we needed. Gary Giggy, Sr. has been our ASF (American
Salmon Federation) connection since we started. He checks
in with us to make sure the tank is up and running and if
there is any thing we need, like new filters. When it’s time,
he brings us the tiny eyed eggs from the hatchery.

In many schools, this project in done in the
elementary grades, but it’s a project that can be adapted
for many levels and classes. I have done this program in
Environmental Class, General Science and Agriscience.
This year, it doesn’t work in any of my classes, but I have
two students, one middle school and one high school,
Seth Cote and Josh Wortman respectively, working on

this collaboratively as an independent study. Most of the
years that we have done the Fish Friends Project, we have
“buddied” with the Kindergarten classes at our elementary
school. My students develop lessons for the K kids, and
they come to our classroom on “fieldtrips” to do the lessons
and learn all about the tank setup and the salmon. They
do follow-up activities and review back in their classroom.
In the spring, they go with us to the stream to release the
fry. It is so exciting to watch the younger students, as well
as the older ones, a ́ѡ